After 10 months of campaigning and a resounding victory, U.S. Rep.-elect Joseph Kennedy III said he has had little time to rest since topping Republican Sean Bielat in Tuesday’s election.

Kennedy returned to Fall River on Friday to greet a group of soon-to-be-naturalized citizens and thank some supporters for getting him to Washington, D.C.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” Kennedy said of his past week. “Tuesday was obviously a special night for me. We worked really hard to get to Tuesday night, and it hasn’t completely sunk in yet, but we’ve been working really hard ever since.”

Kennedy said he will be in Washington, D.C., during the coming week for an orientation at which he expects to learn the finer details about the country’s budget situation and the transition from first-time candidate to first-term congressman. He said the week may also give him better insight into potential committee assignments, though he said his current priorities are in the field of developing economic opportunities and foreign affairs.

As he prepares to enter a Congress and face difficult decisions on the budget and the country’s economic future, Kennedy said he is ready to do his part to bridge any existing gaps.

“I think you’re seeing the recognition across the country for the fact that, clearly, we have some very large decisions about the budget that have to be made,” Kennedy said. “You’re seeing movement there and the recognition that the only way to do this is with a mix of increasing revenue and budget cuts, and the details on those are going to be worked out.

“I do think the country is ready for government to get along. When I was campaigning at every stop, the two questions I got were, 'How are you going to get the economy going again?' and, How can you get government working?'”

Kennedy’s entry into Congress will signal the return of the Kennedy family name for the first time since Patrick Kennedy’s last term ended in January 2011. But while the name has become synonymous with federal politics, Kennedy said he will take the advice of family members such as his father, Joseph Kennedy II, and his great uncle Edward Kennedy who served before him to never expect the job to be easy just because you’re a Kennedy.

“You’ve got to work. Nothing comes easy,” Kennedy said. “I think for me, the focus is just like we did with the campaign — do it one day at a time, get this transition process right and hit the ground running in January.”

While he’s looking ahead to January and the challenges that await him on Capitol Hill, Kennedy said his memories of the campaign will not quickly fade away. He recalled the story of a person who suffered through an abusive life but chose to go to community college and is now poised to get a degree. He spoke about a man who was laid off from his job who — rather than become downtrodden — took a risk, mortgaged his home and created a business that now sustains his family.

Page 2 of 2 - “The best parts of the campaign are the people you meet,” Kennedy said. “People in this district have done amazing things, commitments they have made to their families to their communities to their country. ... People have incredible stories. Their resilience, perseverance — they’ve got it. Those stories get you through a campaign, and it’s those stories I will carry with me in Washington.”